President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that Rep. Ilhan Omar may have staged the incident in which a man sprayed her with an unknown substance during a town hall event in Minnesota, casting doubt on the episode while saying he had not watched the video.
In an interview with ABC News, Trump labeled the Minnesota Democrat a “fraud” and speculated that the incident may not have been what it appeared. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” Trump said, before adding that he had not seen the footage. “I hope I don’t have to bother,” he continued.
Trump’s comments came just days after he said both the Justice Department and Congress are examining Omar’s finances. According to The New York Times, the investigation into her finances and campaign spending was opened in 2024 under the Biden administration. Trump referenced those concerns while dismissing the town hall incident.
The disruption occurred Tuesday night during a public event where Omar had just called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be defunded and demanded the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Authorities identified the suspect as 55-year-old Anthony J. Kazmierczak.
Video of the incident shows Kazmierczak, who had been seated in the front row, suddenly moving toward Omar while holding what appeared to be a syringe. He sprayed her shirt with an unknown liquid before a security guard intervened, tackled him, and restrained him on the ground. Omar then stepped aggressively toward the suspect as the crowd reacted.
Several people nearby urged Omar to seek medical attention, but she insisted on continuing the event. “We will continue,” she said. “These f—ing a—holes are not going to get away with it.”
One woman near the stage could be heard expressing concern about the substance. “Whatever it is, it smells so bad. She needs to go get checked,” she said. The New York Times later reported that the liquid sprayed on Omar “smelled strongly of vinegar.”
After the event, Omar described herself as a “survivor” and told reporters that she would not be intimidated. “You know, I’ve survived more, and I’m definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think that they can throw at me because I’m built that way,” she said.
Kazmierczak was arrested and charged with third-degree assault. He was booked into the Hennepin County Jail. Details about his background emerged after the arrest. A neighbor, Brian Kelley, told The New York Post that Kazmierczak had mentioned the possibility of being arrested before attending Omar’s town hall.
“He said, ‘I’m going to this Omar thing,’” Kelley recalled. “‘This town hall thing.’ And he said, ‘I might get arrested.’” Kazmierczak even asked Kelley to watch his dog while he attended the event.
Kelley said that the day after making the comment, Kazmierczak told him the dog-sitting would no longer be necessary. “I figured he blew that off,” Kelley said.
Kelley also said Kazmierczak had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, was heavily medicated, and suffered from spine problems stemming from a car accident years earlier. He said he was not particularly surprised by the arrest but doubted that his neighbor intended to physically harm anyone.
“I figured when he said he was going to go to the town hall, he’d stand up and say something stupid,” Kelley said. “I can’t imagine him assaulting or spraying somebody.”
The incident, Trump’s reaction, and the broader scrutiny surrounding Omar have fueled intense debate, as investigators continue to sort out what happened and why.
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